Tripod or stand.



No. 697,!46. Patented Apr. 8, |902.

C. W. HOWARD.

TRIPOD 0R STAND.

{Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.,l

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(No Model.)

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No. 697,|46. Patented Apr. 8, |962.

C. w. HowAn. TRIPOD 0R STAND.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 697,I46. Patented Apr. 8, |902.

C. W. HOWARD.

TRIPOD 0R STAND.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.) ("0 miel- 3 sheefvslwet 3,

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CLARENCE \V. IIOVARD, OF KIRKVVOOD, ILLINOIS.

TRIPOD 0R STAND.

SJEEGIFEGATION :orining part of Letters Patent No. 697,146, dated Apr18, 1902.

Application iiled March 29, 1901. Serial No. 53,398. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, CLARENCE W. HOWARD, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Kirkwood, in the county of Warren and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tripod or Stand, of which Ithe following is a clear, full, and exact description.

Myinvention relates io tripods or stands adapted to serve as supports i'or photographic cameras, surveying instruments, and other apparatus, and has for its object to provide a simple construction by which the apparatus may be securely fastened in a great variety of positions; and a further object of my invention is to so construct the support that it will be capable of being folded into a very compact shape.

The mechanism in which I embody my invention and by which I accomplish these purposes Will be hereinafter fully described and the features of novelty pointed out in the claims. f

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a side elevation of my tripod witha photographic camera attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the device by which the legs of the tripod when spread are held firmly in position. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the tripod-head with certain parts broken away to show the construction. Fig. 4 is a detail vieu7 of part of a leg of the tripod. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the upper part of one of the tripod-legs, taken on line-5 5 of Fig.

3. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of one of the tri.

pod-legs, taken on line G 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the clamp attached to one of the legs and having spring members by which the legs when closed together are securely retained in position. Fig. S is a detail View showing the construction of the central part of the leg-spreading device shown in Fig. Fig. 9 represents my tripod conipactly folded together' in shape to be carried about with certain parts broken away in order to show the construction. Fig. 10 is a detail View of the device by which the supporting arm or rod attached to one of the tripod-legs is connected with a photographic camera. Fig. l1 is a detail view, in vertical section, of the .come lost.

lower part of the cover or handle B. Fig. l2 is a cross-section of the lower part of said cover or handle, taken on line l2 12 of Fig. l1. Fig. 13 is a detail top view ofthe tripodhead. Fig. 14 is a cross-section of the tripodhead, showing the upper end of the cam-lever pivoted to the head. Fig. l5 shows my tripod folded together in shape to be carried about with the cover or handle attached and the sheath drawn over the legs.

A is the tripod-head containing the ball C' and forming with it a ball-and-socket joint. The ball O has a shank c, to the end of which the camera I or other instrument may be screwed or attached in the ordinary manner. The head A has a slot a3 extending from the top of the head down to the side of it, in which the shank c may move from a vertical to a horizontal position, so that the camera or other instrument may be turned to positions at right angles with each other and to any intermediate position without removing the camera from the shank. Theball O is tightly clamped in any desired position by Ineans of the cam-lever a2, pivoted at a to the head A. The head A has the screw-thread a, on which when the camera or other instrument is removed is adapted to screw the cover or handle B. The cover B has a loose collar b', held in position by smallscrews or pins h2, Whose inner ends areretained in an annular groove in the handle B, so that the collar'may revolve around the handle B. The collar b' is attached to the cam-lever CL2 by the small chain or cord l), so that the handle B may not be- 'lhe legs D are hollow 'and are connected with the head A by spring members d, so that the legs may be'sprung out when it is desired to use the tripod and may be sprung together when it is desired to carry the tripod about. These legs are telescoping and contain extension legs or rods F, which are retained in any desired extension by the loose sleeve e5, which compresses the split lower end of the leg D tightly on the extension-rod F when the sleeve ci is drawn down. One of the legs has the clamp H, having spring members h, adapted to receive and tightly hold the other legs D when all are folded together. To each leg is pivoted at g2 an inwardly-extending arm Gr, pivoted at its inner end to the small disk g at g, so that when the legs are IOO folded together the arms G are folded upward and when the legs are spread the arms G are retained in a horizontal position by the construction shown in Fig. S, thus strongly bracing thev legs when spread; For the purpose of steadying the camera or other instrument I have provided a rod lattached at its lower end to one of the legs and at its upper end adapted to be attached to the camera or other instrument. This device is 'preferably constructed'as follows: The rod cl3 is attached, as at d4 vor in any suitable manner, to the loose sleeve d on one of the tripod-legs D. This sleeve d' may be clamped iny any desired position on the leg by means of the cam-lever d2. The rod d3 is at its upper end attached to the camera or other instrument in any desired way, as by means of the sleeve E, which is attached to the camera by the screw e2, the sleeve E holding by friction the pin e, which is pivoted at e to the rod d3 and may be withdrawn from the sleeve E when it is desired to remove thecamera from the tripod.

After the stand or tripod has been used in the manner describedA the camera or other inf `strument may be removed from the tripod,

the cover B screwed on Vthe head A, the legs vfolded together, the extension legs or rods F drawn in, the rod d3 folded alongside the legs, and a sheath J, of any suitable material, as leather, for instance, drawn over the legs, when the tripod will resemble a closed umbrella and may be readily carried about.

I have given the preferred form of construction of my invention; butit will be understood that Ido not confine myself to such construction above detailed and shown in the the head consisting of spring members at the upper ends of the legs adapted to be sprung or bent inwardly to close the legs, and out wardly to spread the legs.

2. In a tripod or sta-nd which consists of a `head carrying a support for a photographic camera or other instrument, legs, and an additional support for said instrument, consisting of a rod adapted to be detachably secured at its upperend to said instrument, a clamping-sleeve secured to the lower end of said rod, and engaging one of the legs of the tripod, and a cam-lever pivoted to said sleeve and adapted to hold the same against movement.

3. In a tripod or stand which consists of a head carrying a. support for a photographic camera or other instrument, legs, and an additional support for saidinstruinent, consisting of arod', a pin pivoted to the upper end of said rod, a sleeve removably holding said pin, and suitable .means for securing said sleeve to the instrument; the lower end of said rod being secured to one of the legs of the tripod.

4. In a-tripod or stand which consists Ot' a head carrying a support for ay photographic camera or other instrument, legs, and an additional support for said instrument, consisting of a rod, a pin pivoted to the upper end of said rod, a sleeve removably holding said pin, and suitable means for securing said sleeve to the instrument, a clamping-sleeve secured to the lower end of said rod, and engagingr one of the legs of the tripod, and a cam-lever pivoted toV said clamping-sleeve k,and adapted to hold the same against movel ment.

In testimony whereof have signed my name to this specification in theL presence 0f two subscribing witnesses.

- CLARENCE W. HOWARD. Witnesses: f

R. R. DAv1soN, R. W. HOUSTON. 

